Not Quite Home
by Little Scissor
Summary: Aly is forced to go back to Tortall to figure out a situation that she had heard through the grapevine. She thinks it will be fine, she's just going back home. But home hasn't been home for a long time and the situation is much worse than she imagined.
1. Prologue

**This is the first fanfic I've ever written. I'm only hoping that it will improve as I continue to write this. To me, writing fanfics are odd. I'm so used to writing original fiction that - I don't know - it's just different in a way. Anyway...yeah. It's in Aly's POV - First Person. **

**This story was something that all came to my head just a while ago.**

**Oh. **

**Flamers - I don't fancy people like you. If you tell me I suck, tell me why. Specifics always make things better for me as a writer. But I guess there isn't much I can do after you review.**

**Thank you.**

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**Prologue**

_(Disclaimer: Most of the characters belong to Tamora Pierce as well as the settings.)_

I held my ten-year-old daughter at my side. She looked at her feet sadly. It was obvious that she knew what I was going to tell her, but it was inevitable. I cleared my throat, trying to fill the uncomfortable air but it didn't help the situation. Alanna, named after my mother, stiffened. Nawat stared at me with understanding eyes. He knew my job and what I had to do, but he didn't always enjoy it.

"She needs to leave," Nawat told her lightly, touching her shoulder. "She needs to go."

"But I don't want her to leave," my daughter said, looking up at me with her dark eyes that resembled my husband's so much. "I don't want her to leave."

It was the first time I actually had to leave the country to do my job and I knew it worried her. Over the years, she had grown rather attached to me; not how I was with my mother – at least not until I got kidnapped by pirates and was sold to Dove's family.

"I have to," I told her. I crouched a little and wrapped my arm around her slender body. "I'll be back, I promise." Alanna bowed her head, masking her face with a thick layer of Auburn hair. I could feel her shudder as she held back her tears. "But I have another week to be here." I tried to reassure her with no avail; she ran to her room and slammed the door.

That night after Nawat put Alanna, and the twins Lucian and Malachi to bed, he sat on the bed next to me and looked at me with his thoughtful eyes. I looked upon his sharp features remembering the days when he just turned into a human and tried to get used to the odd human customs.

"What is it this time?" he asked. I still couldn't believe that he used to be a crow, though I witnessed it myself when I was eighteen. "You never told me any details. Why must you go back to your parent's home?"

With a sigh, I wondered if I should tell him everything. Of course I should've, he was my husband and I hadn't hid anything so big in a long time. "There is word about the new king wanting to go to war with us."

"Wouldn't you father or mother tell you if that were true?" Nawat asked desperately. The look in his eye made my situation harder than it was.

"I would…if my father were still Tortall's spymaster, my mother, the King's Champion, and my godfather, Jonathan, the king." Thinking about it again, it was so odd that they had grown old and stepped down from their positions. I had gotten used to receiving information from my family. "Nawat," I paused and reached for his hand. "Things are very different now. I'm doing this on Dove's orders. Besides, all I'm doing is checking to see if the gossip I heard was true."

Nawat leaned over and kissed my forehead. "If that's what our Queen orders, then there isn't anything I can do about it."

"Take care of the children," I told him. "And make sure they don't get into any mischief, I've been getting complaints from several people about their ruckus."

"All three?" Nawat teased.

"Just the twins," I corrected myself with a small smile stretched across my face. It soon faded away like a distant memory; not even a ghost of it lingered. I could feel that it was late. "I need to sleep; we are planning tomorrow." Nawat nodded and blew out the candle. He wrapped his arms around me and comforted me until I fell asleep.

A sinking feeling overtook my emotions. I knew that this wasn't going to be an easy situation. I could only hope the gods were on my side.


	2. The Same But Different

**Sorry for the long wait. I was a bit busy with Nation Novel Writing Month, but now I finished, so I will continue writing this. **

**Enjoy.

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Chapter One: The Same But Different 

_(Disclaimer: Most of the characters belong to Tamora Pierce as well as the settings.)_

Everything was ready. I boarded the ship back to Tortall, the country I had been raised in, but not the one that I called home. My hands clenched at the thought of returning home for more than a visit. The pictures that formed in my head were haunting. All I could see in my vision was mass chaos it seemed like everything was in the hand of the Black God.

"I hope you're with me on this one, Kyprioth," I said to the Trickster. When I was young and naïve, Kyprioth took advantage of me and used me as a pawn in one of his greatest tricks. It was because of him I nearly died several times in the short time I was there. Because of him, I was shaved bald and beat bloody on a ship before I was sold into slavery as part of his plan. But because of him, I grew up and learned responsibility. I formed a family and finally saw eye to eye with my mother.

I looked down at my family from the ship. Alanna's face was buried in Nawat's tunic. I saw her quiver. Nawat must have seen the look on my face because he smiled sympathetically at me and shook his head. I knew that look. It was the look my Da used to give my mother when I was upset with her. It hit me then, that I was going to turn out like my mother, and my daughter, me when I was younger.

"I'll write!" I said loudly directing my statement to my tear-soaked daughter. "I'll miss you." Strange. A few years ago, I would have never thought of saying that but after having children, everything changed. "Tell the twins that I'll miss them too." Nawat nodded. I could see in his eyes that he didn't want me to go, but Dove had asked me to take a look at the situation.

Alanna sobbed harder and ran from Nawat's hold. I watched helplessly as she ran through the crowd, which rippled around her to give her room.

"I'll talk to her," Nawat promised. The gangplank was drawn, we were leaving.

The wind was salty and chapped my face miserably. It had been awhile since I last sailed on the ocean. I forgot how much I missed the rhythmic slapping of the waves against the side of the boat. Just then, a thought came to my mind; it made me smile at the thought of my mother on a boat.

"Well, this should be interesting," said an all too familiar voice. I spun to meet Kyprioth's gaze. He looked the same as he ever did. His hair was still salt and pepper – more salt than pepper, that he kept short. A mischievous look gleamed in his large brown eyes; a normal feature of his.

"Ah, you decided to come?" I said, slightly sarcastic.

"You can't have fun without me," he retorted, matching my tone. "My sister will have a fit when she finds out I'm there." I rolled my eyes. He was always starting trouble. "As you may not know, I have some unfinished business with a friend over there."

"What is it this time? Did your friend steal your godliness too?" I shook my head at him. "Can you ever keep rule over your things?"

"If you were funny, I would laugh," he replied crossing his arms. "But no, to answer your question. In fact, I don't think I can tell you."

"I won't tease you," I lied knowing that it wouldn't work; he wouldn't give in. I just enjoyed giving him a hard time.

Kyprioth laughed. "You can't trick me, Aly." He bent closer to my face. My vision was destroyed by his over-powering eyes. "I'm the trickster god, after all." I rolled my eyes at him again. He raised a pointed-arched eyebrow at me. "Do you doubt me, Aly?"

I snorted and shook my head. "Of course not." There was a hint of sarcasm in my voice.

"You'll see, Aly. This will even make you laugh."

"I'm not here for a laugh," I said, but he was gone before I knew it. "Jerk."

My feet were hesitant to step off the gangplank. In all honesty, I never thought of coming back to this place for longer than a visit. "Aly," I heard my mother call. I saw her coming to me from a distance, through a rather large crowd. I could barely recognize her with her white hair dominating over the red and the wrinkles that diminished her features. Her purple eyes were about the only thing that stayed the same. They were just as bright as they were when I was a young girl.

"You're looking well," she said. I reached out and hugged her tightly. She was a short woman but she was broad still muscular from her days as a knight of Tortall and the King's Champion. From what I could see, she was still in all of her glory; her age was just a number in her mind. People stood back with respect from all of the things she had accomplished as a young woman. "Your father is waiting."

"Let us go see him," I said taking my mother hand. Holding onto my mother helped me get over my fear that I felt. "So how is everything here?" I asked as we walked down the busy streets.

My mother sighed heavily. "It's hasn't been too well," she said not meeting eye contact. "We don't understand what is going on, entirely. Just since last year, the new king has been doing some outrageous things. I knew the boy since he was born and he never acted like such a fool before. Even his wife is scared."

Ah, the king. He was my Godfather, Jonathan's son. He went through knight training with my mother's friend Kel. From what I remember of him, he was a decent man, kind, understandable and a great leader. What had changed?

"Aly," I heard my father say. Seeing him almost made me want to cry. It had been a good five years since I last visited anyone in my family. I missed him terribly. He was the only one I could go to for advice. He was one King Jonathan's spymasters, along with my grandfather, as I was with Queen Dove.

I hugged my father tightly. "Are you ready to go home?" I looked up at him about to tell him that this wasn't my home, but he cut me off. "I mean your old home," he corrected. I nodded.

He led me up to the rather large house that I hadn't seen in years. Whenever I would visit, it was never back at my childhood home, it was in some remote area so we wouldn't run into controversy with citizens but it never worked. A few times they would come over to where I dwelled but I wouldn't let that happen too often. My mother hated ships and always got sick on them.

Everything looked the same. Tapestries still hung in the halls, the rugs were still the same blue as they were when I was younger, except, they looked newer. I wondered if they were replaced. My brother Thom greeted me with a great hug. Oh how I missed my older brother. He was a mage, but it was hard to tell with all of the muscle he had gained since I last saw him. I knew that he had to be working outside as he always did when he was here and didn't have his nose in a new book.

"It's been too long, Aly," he told me, kissing me on both cheeks. "The children want to meet you." Children? I had remembered that my brother had gotten married but I wasn't informed of these children. I was eager to meet them. "Ryan!" I heard him call.

A little girl in an emerald dress appeared from a room off to the side. Her auburn hair spiraled down her back and bounced with every movement. She couldn't be more than four. As she stood next to her father, she eyed me head to toe then curtsied.

"This is my oldest daughter Ryan," Thom said, placing a light hand on her slim shoulder. "She had been keen to meet you. Ryan, this is your Aunt Aly." Aunt Aly, that was something strange yet nice to hear. I would have curtsied but I was wearing breeches, not a dress, so instead, I bowed.

"It's nice to meet you," I said to her, crouching to get to her level. "Maybe later, you can show me around the place, I haven't been here in so long. I'm afraid I have forgotten my way around," I lied. She giggled and nodded, her auburn curls bobbing as her blue eyes sparkled. I could see a resemblance of Celine, Thom's wife, in her face.

"That's a pretty necklace," Ryan commented. I touched the thing around my neck. That was no necklace. It was Trick. He popped his head out and looked toward Ryan, or so I thought. I couldn't tell where his eyes were. "Oh," she said with surprise.

"Oh," Trick mimicked. "Who is this girl?" he asked me turning his faceless head at me. I could see the lips that he formed but they were slowly disappearing. Back when I was younger and learning how to be an adult during the rebellion, Tkaa, a basilisk friend of ours, brought these little darkings to me for support and to help me spy on certain people.

"This is Ryan, my brother's daughter," I told the darking. I wasn't planning on using him I just wanted company on the ship ride here. He was also my only connection to home. I sighed at the thought of home. "Ryan, this is Trick."

"Hello Trick," the little girl said. There was curiosity in her eyes.

"You brought the darking with you," my mother said with amusement. "Why?" Oh, right. I had forgotten that my father and I left my mother in the dark about everything that's been going on. He told me that she was still loyal to her country. I understood fully but it was going to be hard to sneak around her. She had eyes like a hawk especially for her own children. It was that motherly instinct.

"I needed the company on the ship," I told her with a crooked smile. "It would have been a boring voyage." Trick melted back into his original formation around my neck.

"Let us show you where you are staying," my brother said. I could see that he was preparing for taking over my parents post as Baron. "Celine will meet us later. She's caring for our younger children. It's their nap time." He answered my question before I could ask. "Alan will be here in two days. He sends his apologizes for not coming sooner."

"I understand," I told him. I felt a little upset that my own twin didn't come to greet me, but then again as a knight, he had many duties. I could still recall my mother when she was still fighting in the war that ended during my absence. She was never there. My father raised me instead of my mother. It caused a big wall between us that we didn't manage to tear down until I was an expected mother. However, I did miss her greatly during the time I was torn from my family.

We went through a series of halls. I remembered this place clearly. My father used to teach me his cunning ways in this very dwelling. I sighed. Those memories were long gone. The only thing I wanted to do now was get everything over with so I could return home to my family.

Another thought popped into my head. Was that how my mother felt whenever she had to leave? I was going to have to ask her one day when I had time.

My room was the same as it was when I was living there before. It was as though no one had touched the room except maybe to dust it. My family left me be to my room, telling me that they will have my things sent up to me that night. I flopped down on my bed.

Trick trickled off my neck and formed into a blob next to my face. "Nawat wishes to speak to you."

I rolled over as Trick readied himself to pass the messages. Nawat's face swam in my mind. I missed him already. "He wants to know how things are here," Trick said.

"Tell him that I just arrived. My mother told me that things were different. There is something strange going on but that's all I know for now. I'll tell him more when I get to it." Trick nodded as though mocking. "How are the children?" I couldn't resist. I had to ask. Being a mother made me very worrisome. At a time like this, it was something that I didn't want.

"The twins miss you, but they are fine. Alanna is dreadful. She locked herself in room." There was a pause. "He asks if you want to speak with her."

I shook my head. "Not now," I told Trick. I didn't think I could handle it. "How is he?"

"He is well," Trick said. "But says it's not the same." There was another pause. "Dove is nervous. Secret told me that she spends most of her time pacing in her chambers. Everyone is nervous."

"Tell everyone I'll be fine," I told the darking. "Don't forget, I still have old connections here."

"Nawat knows, but says still be careful. They need you to return safely," Trick said. "He had to break the connection. Alanna was near."

"Okay," I told him. Trick relaxed a little as though long the distance was rough for him. I must have looked sad because he rubbed his head against my cheek. "Is there any other news from Secret?" I wanted to know. Trick shook his head.

A strange feeling washed over me.

Though everything looked the same, it felt different. I felt as though I didn't belong here.

"We had better make this a quick visit," I told Trick, sitting up from my bed. "I don't like the feel of it here." Trick climbed to my shoulder and formed into a necklace again, resting his head near my ear.


	3. The Harbor

**Chapter Two: The Harbor**

_(Disclaimer: Most of the characters belong to Tamora Pierce as well as the settings.)_

I didn't know how long I stayed in my chambers before Ryan came in and hopped on my bed with much enthusiasm. She smiled at me sweetly, her eyes sparkling with innocence. Her smile presented two dimples that set next to her mouth, making her look even more adorable than before.

"Aunt Aly," she said bouncing a little and balling her fist in an energetic way. "Can I show you around now?" I nodded and got up from the bed. I helped her off because the bed was far larger than she was, though she didn't have a hard time getting on.

Her little hand wrapped around mine as she pulled me away from my room. A delicious smell wafted through the hall. It made my stomach rumbled silently; I had forgotten the last food I consumed. "That smell is inviting," I told Ryan.

"Yeah, the cooks are the best here," she said. "And…" she motioned me closer, "when I go to see them, they give me whatever I ask for, even if mother says no." For someone of the age of four, she sure had a way of speech. I began to wonder if that was really her age. "Oh, here is my room," she said, pointing to a door, distracting me briefly from my thoughts. "Do you want to see it?" I nodded, but I knew that I was loosing time by doing so.

She took me into her room. It was like every other chamber in the house except for the fact that there were things that little girls like to play with, such as dolls and a fairly large doll house. The main color of her room was blue. It was an interesting choice for a little girl, though a smart one. It was a calming color and could have possibly put her to sleep easily at night when the moon bounced off it correctly.

Her bed was a large bed, about the same size as the one I had in my own chambers. A sapphire and forest green quilt was tossed over top the mattress and folded just before the matching pillows. On her night stand sat a book, no doubt filled with made up stories that taught her life lessons. Many children had them in Tortall apparently. The last gift my parents sent my children was identical copies of the same tales.

"This is where I put all of my toys," she said, pointing to a chest at the end of her bed. "Mother says that I'm going to have to get rid of most of them soon because I start learning how to be a proper lady in a few months." I hid my smile. I remember the type of "training" I had to go through. In the end, I only ended up using them in the presence of Queen Dove and her ladies in waiting.

With a sigh, Ryan led me out of her room. "Let's go." We went throughout the entire structure, Ryan looking more depressed as we continued. I could tell that her sudden change in life was crushing down on her.

"Can we go to the town?" I asked her, bending over to meet her eyes. She nodded. I held my hand out for her to take, which she did with a small smile.

We ran down the halls, giggling, just as my children and I used to do when I announced that we were going somewhere. We passed Thom and my parents. I chanced a glance back. They were staring at us with raised eyebrows and confusion. Apparently, they weren't used to such ruckus. With me here, they were going to have to get used to it.

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The town was busy as people bustled around. Woman dragged their misbehaving children by the arm as they cried or just looked at the ground with tears dripping down their dirty faces. People stared at me as I walked by. I didn't know if was out of recognition or if it was because they had never seen me before; maybe it was both. I gave them a kind smile then returned with my walk. 

My eyes darted out to find anything out of the ordinary. There were some signs of the gift here and there, but there wasn't anything out of the ordinary. People would use their gift, or another mages gift, to make profit off of their merchandise. I frowned upon such trickery. It was deceitful.

"Hello, Aly," a man said with black eyes. The tone in his voice gave Kyprioth away. I put a hand on my hip and pulled my niece closely to my side. Ryan looked at the man with a confused yet frightened look. "It's good to see you again."

"And you," I said, dryly. "Can't you see I'm a little busy?" I asked him, looking down at my niece pointedly.

"I just wanted to greet you that is all," he said. He bent low to Ryan and smiled. "I have something that you might like," he told her. "Hold out your hands." Ryan looked at me for support but I shrugged. Ryan let go of my hand and held her hands together, palms up, toward the God in disguise. Kyprioth reached into his sleeve and pulled out something shiny. It dropped into Ryan's little hands.

A silver chain dribbled through her fingers as a strange pendant sat on her hands. I took a closer look. It looked a lot like a sapphire wrapped in silver tendrils, something expensive, something that Kyprioth shouldn't have.

"Where did you get that?" I asked the God but he was already leaving. I would have ran after him, but something told me that I shouldn't leave Ryan alone. This wasn't like home where everyone knew my children and they had guards when I needed to do something on my own. I stayed behind and grabbed onto my nieces hand. "Hide that," I told her. Something so expensive shouldn't be left out and definitely not in the hands of a little girl.

Ryan stuffed the necklace in her sash and looked up at me with confused eyes. I smiled down at her. "Let's go back," I told her. A strange feeling was beginning to build up in the pit of my stomach. It was as though someone were watching me. My eyes darted around as subtle as I could make it, but I couldn't see anyone.

It was a long way until we were back into the safety zone. Damn myself for taking Ryan out so far, I would frequently think as we walked quickly back to our dwelling.

A distinguished sound rustled behind me. It sounded like clothes flapping in the wind but there was no wind. Then I heard the rhythmic thumping of boot-clad feet. Someone was running at us. I only knew because the sound was magnifying with every thump.

I turned quickly at where the noise was coming from. A young man was running at us, but he wasn't looking directly ahead of him, where Ryan and I were standing; he had his head turned to see who was following him. I could see a soft glow around his wrist that trailed behind him on the ground like a string. It was a tracking spell.

Was this young man being tracked? I wanted to know. I was suddenly forced to the ground, Ryan was on top of me, with another man on top of her. His hair tickled my nose and made me sneeze. "Get off," I yelled, trying to force him off, but it was hard when a little girl was being held against me.

"Sorry," he said in an accent that I recognized to be from the south. "But that man was about to knock you over."

I sat up, checking Ryan to see if she was okay as I replied, "Just like you did." I was furious at the man. I took a good look at him. He had to be in his mid twenties. His white blonde hair cascaded from his head like a river. There was a couple of darker streaks of hair toward the front. I found it odd. His hair almost looked fake.

Ryan pressed herself against my chest as she looked upon the face of a stranger. His gaunt face looked rather frightening by the way the shadows covered him as he towered over us. He was a scrawny thing yet I could see some muscle working under his threadbare tunic. I was suspicious. I felt Ryan's sash where she had left the necklace.

It was gone.

Out of reflex, I kicked my leg out and tripped him. He fell flat on his back, the necklace trickled out of his sleeve. He tried to get up again, but I planted my heel hard in the sensitive spot of his stomach, right under the ribs where his diaphragm lived. Heard the air wheeze from his mouth. I snatched the necklace, pushing it down in my tunic and stood. Furiously, I dusted off my breeches and lifted Ryan to her feet.

With an angry grunt, I spun on my heel and walked away. "Are you okay, Ryan?" I asked as we got as far away from that man as possible. "He didn't hurt you did he?"

"No," she said innocently.

"He tried to steal that necklace that my old friend gave you," I told her. I reached into my tunic and pulled out the necklace. It sparkled in the light. "I will give it back to you when we return home." She nodded and watched me shove it back into my tunic. It was lumpy against my body.

We made it back safely. I thanked Ryan for a most interesting tour and returned her necklace, then retired to my room until I was called for dinner. The rest of the day, I spent inside, trying to figure out what that necklace was, but Ryan had stored it away safely in her room where I knew I would have to sneak in to find it.

* * *

My second day came fast. I rose with the sun, before most of my family. The night before, I had fallen asleep early knowing that I would have to rise before my family did. I needed to get some work done and it wasn't going to work unless everyone was asleep. 

I slipped out of the front doors and made my way back to the town. If I wanted to get a start on this, I would have to start listening to the town folk gossip. "Trick," I whispered to my necklace. "I need you to be an extra pair of ears for me. Listen for anything that sounds suspicious."

However, I knew my job needed to take place at the King's Palace but I had no excuse of going there, not yet at least. Besides, there were still some things that I needed to get done here. I needed background and more facts about the strange events that have been occurring.

I felt his head nod as he whispered, "Okay," in my ear. If I hadn't grown my hair out a little, people would have noticed Trick forming lips on his nonexistent face, but my hair had covered his movements well. I touched his body that vibrated against my neck. He was excited. I had never felt him do that since the rebellion.

There wasn't much going on in town, so I made my way into a pub where the fishermen got their early mug of alcohol. The stench burned my nose as it wafted off a man sitting next to me at the bar. I glanced over at him with a disinterested look. He replied with a toothless grin and a wink. It was obvious that the man had been into some trouble. I mean, I could count his teeth with my fingers, which must have meant he had been in a fight. Blood swished in his mouth from his gums.

"What happened?" I asked, looking carefully at his freshly injured mouth.

"Some of the other fishermen have been getting a little rowdy," the man said with a wheezing voice. "I got caught in the middle this morning when I was about to go off to cast my net, but I ended up back here."

"You should probably go back to fishing," I suggested. "You might not be able to get any when you return."

"Nah," he said waving his drunken hand at me. "There are plenty of fish in that water that I can catch." He took a swig of his alcohol and grimaced. I was positive the drink had made his wound sting. "But, I guess you are right," he said setting his glace down. "I should get back to the ship. My son is on board and there's no telling what he'll do." The fisherman paid the barkeeper and left.

"What would you like," he asked. "Water," I told him, looking around the room. "I'm not much of a drinking this early in the morning."

"Anything else?" he asked, his muddy eyes winking in the light. I shook my head and tilted my head to the side so that my hair would fall, exposing the nap of my neck. It was a flirting method that I used on men often.

The pub ended up to be dull and uneventful. Not many people came inside, nor did that say anything about weird happenings. I was rather disappointed that my first plan failed. I decided to start over, walking down the street where people where finally starting to pour into them.

I looked down at the ground a lot as I walked. The skirts of my dress wrapped around my legs when the wind blew. It annoyed me. I knew I should have worn breeches, but I wanted to act lady-like at my parent's home, dresses were required.

A glowing red string appeared under my feet. I looked closely at it and realized it was the same tracking spell that I saw yesterday. I looked back to see if it lead back anywhere but there were too many people bustling around in the town. With a shrug, I began following the red string. I knew that I should be getting back to work, but it was hard when I was curious.

I followed it as it weaved through buildings until I reached the sea, which was neighboring the port. Interesting, I thought. It was the second thing that had led me to the port. I continued on with my tracking but it stopped in the water. That was the only way to hide a tracking spell thoroughly, through water.

If I remembered correctly, someone could only be tracked on solid ground. If there is too much distance or water in the way, then the tracking spell eliminates itself. It seemed like the victim knew that too, but it was strange. That discovery was recent. If it were by accident then the man would have been worried.

I walked along the coast and the waves licked my covered feet. After being touched by the first wave, I decided that going barefoot would be the best way. The water was cold against my naked feet and the sand squished between my toes. I watched the ships leave the docks slowly as others were still nestled against the wooden planks, tied down by thick rope. I grew closer to the harbor and decided that it was time to do some more investigating when I saw something moving under the docks.

Slightly unnerved by the way the thing was moving, I ran to where I knew I would be remotely safe. I hadn't an idea what was dwelling under the docks. I made it to where civilization was, but curiosity struck again. I crawled over the dock and peeked through the cracks.

I saw it again.

It moved under the dock I was kneeling on.

The thing looked up, from the moment we made eye contact, I knew that it wasn't human. Trick shivered on my neck, but it wasn't an excited shiver. I could tell by the tightening of his body. Suddenly the eyes flashed a blood red as the morning sun slipped through the dock. I caught a glimpse of it's face that almost resembled a human boy, except for the fact that he had red eyes and his skin was a strange shade of pale green.

Something touched my shoulder; I jumped in surprise and looked to see who or what it was. It was a fisherman. I put a hand to my heart and let out a relieved breath. It was the same fisherman that I had meet in the pub. "Young lass, what are you doing here?" he asked. "I don't think this is the safest place for a lass such like yourself to be middling around in. The men here get a little rough." He put a kind hand on my shoulder. "I'll have my son take you to the market. He's usually a good boy and he will be for you if I tell him so." He looked over my head and barked, "Peter! Come here, will ya?" I turned to look.

The young man that tried to steal something from Ryan ran up. A look of complete terror crossed his face. I crossed my arms at him and glared. "Yes, father," he said glancing at me nervously.

"Will you escort this lass back to the town so no one will target her," the man said, not realizing the tension between the two of us. "When you are finished, you'd better return."

"Yes, father," he said, his voice was unsure. His father left for the ship. "What do you want?" he asked in a whisper, glancing at his father. "You didn't tell him did you?"

"No," I said flatly. "I didn't know he was your father, _Peter_." I looked up to the gaunt man and glared. "Now if you please, I have to go back home. My brother should be home any moment." It could have been true. In all honesty, I didn't know when he was going to be there.

"Wait," Peter said, though I was only three steps away from him. "I have to escort you back to town don't I?"

"I think I'd rather take my chances alone," I snapped. "You tried to steal from a little girl."

"I didn't mean to," he said. I looked over at him and rolled my eyes. "I'm serious. I have never stolen anything in my life but I had the strangest urge to snatch that necklace and get some money from it. You have to believe me, it hasn't just happened to me. It's happened to everyone at the port." Now that was something that caught my attention.


	4. A Story and a Lie

Chapter Three: A Story and a Lie 

_(Disclaimer: Most of the characters belong to Tamora Pierce as well as the settings.)_

Peter and I walked back to the town slowly. I knew that I should have been getting back to my current dwelling but I needed to hear what Peter had to say. Maybe there was something about that thing I saw under the dock. The thought of it made me shudder inwardly. Whatever that thing was, it gave me the chills.

"Well," Peter began his tale with a hesitant start. "Since last month, the other fishers and sailors have been acting a bit different." His southern accent made it a bit difficult to understand. It was apparent that when he was nervous, not only did he rub his hands together, but his accent gets thicker. I kept those notes in mind as I listened to his story intently. "Sailors and fishers usually get along. I mean, we stay out of their way and provide them with food when it is needed but last month, one of the sailors attacked a man's boat.

"Everyone found it odd because this particular person was a nice man, he never used to harm people, but when he attacked the fisher's boat, he did it with what seemed like revenge. He set the entire ship on fire and stood on the boat while it burned around him. That's when it first started."

"So he died," I said with a sigh. I felt sorry for the man but not too sorry.

"Yup," Peter said. "Burned to death. Out of all of the cases, he had the worst. Most people ended up lying near the docks not sure of what happened to them, or like me, couldn't control themselves. For some reason, I wanted to attack you yesterday. There was no reason for me to do it. I didn't even know you. That whole day, I wanted to get into a fight with someone and when I did, I couldn't control my body."

"Did you hurt anyone?" I wanted to know.

"No, the people ran away screaming demon or something like that." Peter waved his hand like it was nothing. "I felt normal that morning until I started loading up the boat to go fishing with my father. There was a strange prick at the base of my neck then I was watching everything from a distance."

I didn't know what to think about that, it sounded like a poorly said excuse for what happened the other day. I decided to leave him at that and try to do my own investigation on the matter after I figure out about what the King was planning. The fishermen and the sailors weren't my business for the time being.

"I should get home," I told him with a smile and a tilt of my head. He returned the smile and turned back to the harbor. As quickly as I could, I ran back home to get ready for my twin's return. After what he had done to me, I didn't want to meet up with him, telling him that I was too busy, but that would be childish of me. I was an adult and a mother, I should have been more mature about matters.

Sneaking back into the dwelling was just as easy as sneaking out. Everyone was in their chambers waking up. I found it odd that they would be waking up four hours passed dawn. If I knew my father, he would have gotten up two hours before, same with my mother. Though she was aging, she still did her morning routine like she did back when she was a young girl.

I slipped into my room and pretended as though I had just finished getting ready. I did, however, change my gown. It had gotten dirty somehow.

"Good morning, Aunt Aly," Ryan called from outside my door. I opened it a little to let her know that she could enter. "Aunt Aly, it's breakfast time, I'll walk down with you." I took her hand as she led me down to the dining room where everyone was entering.

"Your bother will be arriving soon," my mother announced as she folded her hands in front of her. "He should be here at noon." I nodded in response.

"Is there anything you have planned for today?" my father asked. He must have known that I was getting a bit anxious about sitting in the house for too long, though I was just out a half an hour before.

"I need to do a few errands in town," I told him. "The twins want me to send them something to them."

"Why didn't they come with you?" Celine queried innocently.

"Because they can't miss a moment of their studies," I told her, lying thoroughly. I had thought my lie through while on the ship and if it fell through, I had a back up. "The boys have been slacking lately and Taybur isn't helping." In a way, that was true. Taybur decided that he needed to take up the position to teach them how to properly protect people. I found the whole thing irrelevant but I didn't say anything. I believed he was making up time from his deceased prince back when I was younger.

The memory surged in my mind. The little boy that I once took care of died that day with the young prince. I pushed it back and glanced over and my father. He was staring at me as though trying to read me. I learned how to hid my emotions from he. He taught me almost everything I knew, but I also picked up a few things myself that I knew he hadn't encountered yet.

"How's your oldest?" Celine asked.

"Not good," Trick whispered in my ear.

"She's fine," I told everyone. It was simple and believable. If I said anymore, I would have been blabbing. There wasn't a doubt that my father would have noticed. He may have been old, but like my mother, he was still keen about the things around him.

He was about to say something when someone interrupted by entering the room. There stood Alan beaming at all of us.

"Surprise!"

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**A/N: This is all I had time to write but I will update again soon. **


	5. An Excuse

**Thank you readers and reviewers. You guys are great.

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**

Chapter Four: An Excuse 

_(Disclaimer: Most of the characters belong to Tamora Pierce as well as the settings.)_

Alan's booming voice lingered a little in our silence. Everyone just stared at him with surprise; we weren't expecting him until later that day. No one was prepared for his presence yet, not even my parents. It wasn't as if my brother was a terrible person or anything, he could be a bit difficult at times. He always has to do something for someone even when they don't need the help.

"What?" he asked, shoulders sagging by our lack of response.

"We are all just surprised," my mother said. "No one was expecting you until later." Alan beamed at us all again flashing his strangely white teeth. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming early?"

"I wanted to surprise you," Alan said. My eyebrow twitched at the way he spoke. It sounded like an overly innocent child trying to get away with something. "I see I succeeded." From child, to pompous, only my brother could pull it off as fast as a heartbeat. Everyone could see that he was getting a little smug – which usually wasn't his personality. Maybe being a knight has been going to his head. He was well known in the country because of the status of our parents and our godfather; the could have been a possibility.

"It's good to see you," I said, crossing my eyes and glaring at him. The sight of him made me angry. I didn't understand why. It was possible his absence when I came still bothered me, or it might have been because he hadn't written me – ever! There was something else I noticed about him, he changed. It wasn't a physical trait; it was more of a personality thing. He was different. Alan wasn't the Alan I knew.

"Aly," he said, coming around the table. I stood before he could lift me off of my chair as we hugged. He may have been different but he was still my brother. "Where are you children?"

"They are back home with Nawat," I told him. "They can't miss their studies and their tutors wouldn't come."

"That's too bad," Alan replied, looking a bit disappointed. He appeared to be attached to my children yet he never wrote them any letters or sent them and sign that he was still around – yeah, very attached. "I wanted to see them."

"Yes," was all I said and released him to sit back down to resume my breakfast. I caught sight of my father looking at me with raised eyebrows. He knew that something was wrong. Alan looked confused by my cold actions. He stood there looking slightly hurt.

"Are you going to join us for breakfast?" Celine asked, trying to clear up the chill in the air that was produced by me alone. It did make me feel a little bad, but not too much to make me stop. "There is plenty for you to have."

"Uh, sure," he said, wounded by his twin's rejection. Alan sat next to me uncertain on whether or not he should sit next to me. The rest of the meal was awkward. I could feel everyone in the room shift uncomfortably in their seats while averting their eyes to me.

I ignored them.

When the meal finished, I was the first to leave, my father followed soon after. He brought me into the study and sat me down. He leaned against the desk and crossed his arms, looking at me with a disapproving expression. "What just happened?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked as though I were blameless.

"Don't even give me that," my father said. "You know what I'm talking about. Why are you being rude to your brother?"

"I'm just very upset at him," I told him with all the honesty I could manage. "He claims that he wanted to see them yet where were the letters to them? Why hadn't he gave any acknowledgment that he was still alive. I know there is no war going on and from what I know he has time to write even the simplest of letters." My father didn't say anything. That was George Cooper, he waited until one was finished ranting before he decided to say anything. "Alan is different."

"People change," my father said coming over to me and putting an arm around me.

I shook my head. Gods, I felt like I was ten again. "It's not the same," I told him. "I know people change but not the way that he has changed. It's almost as if it were forced." I looked into my father hazel eyes and saw the knowledge he stored in his mind. The wrinkles around his eyes deepened a little, he was giving me a sad smile.

"I know there are things I won't understand about twins because I never was one, but you could ask your mother about these changes. Not does she present great advice, she was also a twin once." I nodded, though I wasn't going to say anything to mother. "Oh by the way Aly," my father stopped me before I could leave the room. "Did you find any interesting information this morning?" I glanced at him with a small smile. He knew. "My birdies are still with me."

"It's good to have such a loyal companion, isn't it?" I asked. As I said it, Trick vibrated around my neck feeling almost like a purring cat.

"Indeed," my father replied. "Find me tonight, I have something for you."

"Why not now?"

"Because it isn't here right now," my father said. "Now go away," he shooed me away with his hand. "I have some work to do."

I left the study, shutting the door behind me. I didn't realize that Alan was coming down the very same hall I was at. He looked at me and waved, though it was half hearted. "Alan," I said approaching him. I might as well get it over with now, I thought to myself. "Can I talk to you?"

"About what?" he asked, eyeing me with suspicion. I was suddenly being nice to him – it was a noticeable difference.

"Just come with me," I demanded grabbing him by the wrists and pulling him. He followed me, making it easier on myself. I knew I wouldn't be able to drag him down the hall like I could when we were younger. "Okay, I'm sorry about this morning, I was just upset," I told him when we got into my room. "The mentioning of my children is making me a little homesick." Well, that plan failed. I meant to just yell at him for being a pompous bastard but it seems that lying was one thing I couldn't stop myself from doing to people that was currently part of my schemes. There was only one person I never really lied to and that was Nawat. I've lied to him – yes, but they were petty.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said putting a large hand on my slender shoulder, covering it with just his palm. "I didn't know." I held back my glare.

I could feel that everything was being sprinkled with sugar. Between him and me, I was the one who could tell a lie from the truth. It wasn't because of my gift nor was it because we were twins. It was because I was the one who spent half my time lying and finding common grounds amongst other liars. Alan had to be the worst liar in the history of the world. Whenever he'd lie, his forehead would sweat and his biceps would twitch three times. There were times, when the lie was to cover up something terrible, he would avert his eyes to the floor or scratch the nap of his neck.

Everything he was doing was a lie and it made my anger flare. What was he hiding from me anyway? That was another mystery I needed to dig my hands in. My brother was going to have to try harder than that to slip passed me. I was going to have to be nice, to see if he'd warm up to me and suddenly spill but there was still a chance where I would have to be the one person he feared the most.

"Aly," he said. It had just occurred to me that we hadn't spoken in awhile. "Jonathan and the King are both awaiting to hear from you," he said. He looked down at his feet and his face reddened. "They wish for you to visit them at the palace tomorrow when I return. Would you like to come with me. You don't need to stay, I don't believe, but if you want to, then they have a room ready."

"I would love to stay, but not for too long," I told him. Staying too long at the palace might look suspicious; I was a spymaster after all. "I'll have to come back here and continue to catch up with our parents." In truth, I just wanted to talk to my father more about everything that was going on. He seemed to know a lot more than anyone else. I touched Trick, who rested silently on my neck. I might need him after all.

"That's great!" he said with a genuine smile. He kissed me on both cheeks then ran off like a merry child.

I smiled at myself.

Alan just gave me an excuse to spy on the palace. Though it was a good thing, I still felt something in the pit of my stomach, telling me to beware.


	6. A Setup

**Chapter Five: A Set-up**

_(Disclaimer: Most of the characters belong to Tamora Pierce as well as the settings.)_

That afternoon, I went to the market trying to pick up any signs of a rumor, with Trick as an extra set of ears. People passed me, giving me nothing but soft glowing outlines of a gift and a faint whisper of the palace rumors. It was as though these people were put to silence or they were kept in the dark about everything that happened in Corus. It was hard to keep things contained in the city of Corus, but it wasn't impossible. In the end, someone usually slipped but there wasn't any secrets buzzing around the market.

It was only normal gossip. I wasn't interested in such things, at least I wasn't at the moment. There was nothing in the talk that was relative to the palace. I sighed feeling as though nothing were going to come out of this, then I saw a knight walking around the market, looking uninterested in the things that were for sale. In fact, by the way his irises twitched away from my gaze, I could tell that he was interested in me.

How strange. I didn't even know the chap and he was staring at me like a hungry wolf looking at a piece of meat. My female instincts wanted to take over and attack the man with some vicious words. Men shouldn't fool around with married women; it was against the law.

Instead, I gave him a smile that was almost flashy. After being married for a few years, I didn't think that I could possibly flirt with another man. With a mental sigh, I whispered subtly to Trick that I might have to tell Nawat about that the next time we "talked." I didn't know how Nawat would take it; hopefully he didn't take it seriously. "Trick," I said, turning away from the knight that tried to lock eyes with me. "Remind me that there is a good reason for doing this if I try to back down." At that moment, I felt like a failure of a spymaster.

"I will," he said, vibrating comfortably around my neck. I touched him with a gentle hand and gave him a small smile. Trick was the only thing I currently had that I could trust fully. I knew that, deep down, I couldn't trust my father to the full extent, and I wouldn't. He was still a high class citizen of my potential enemies.

Hmm…what do I think of that?

I still don't know.

"Excuse me, young maiden," a man said. I could have laughed.

I wasn't as young as people thought I was.

"Sir," I said as I curtsied and fluttered my eyelashes. "Can I help you?"

"I was wondering if you knew where I could find the Baron of the Pirate Swoop," he said. There was something in his voice that seemed awfully familiar to my ears but my mind couldn't bring up the relationship. I wondered silently if he was one of the young men who courted me for a short period of time…there were several of them roaming around Tortall. "You seem to know this place very well."

"How could you tell," I asked backing up a little as he invaded my personal space. "I don't know the place as I used to, I mean, it's been several years since I stayed here." There was no lie there, but I was going to bend the truth just incase.

"One can't forget an old home," the knight said with a smile. "So, are you going to help a lost knight out?"

How lame of him, I thought to myself. I couldn't do this any longer. "Saying that you are a lost knight doesn't really make you a good knight does it?"

"There are other ways of being a good knight," he argued with a half smile. "But I can't help my humanistic faults."

Humanistic faults…I've never heard anyone use a word combination such as that except from the books my teachers made me read when I tried to be scholarly. This man was well educated, it might have been to impress someone but for some reason, I doubted that. His eyes flirted genuinely at me causing me to cock and eyebrow. He was far too young for me; maybe about six or seven years younger than I was.

I smiled slightly at him and shook my head. "I'll take you to the house of the Baron," I told him kindly. I turned away slowly, listening to him shuffle behind me in the background as we weaved in and out of crowds. "May I ask what your name is," I called over the loud chatter, turning back to see him half devoured by a hungry crowd.

"Kristofer of Pearlmouth – just Kristofer, if you please. If you'd like, you can call my Kris," the young man said bowing slightly but it was hard as we were walking. "What is your name?"

"Aly," I told him. "What brings you to the Pirate Swoop?" I asked.

"I'm looking for Alan," he said. "I'm traveling with him back to the palace." I nodded pretending to be only halfway interested. "Do you know him?" I tilted my head and gave him a small smile but didn't answer, just continued to walk. I brought him to the home of the of the Baron and Baroness and left him. There was no point in staying, he would soon figure out who I was the next day if not earlier.

Back in the market, I heard a big ruckus within a large group of people. Provost's Guards were there in the blink of an eye dealing with the mess. I caught a glimpse of the two men fighting. One was a sailor and the other a fisherman. I didn't know either of them but there was one face in the dissolving crowd that could tell me and it was Peter. He spotted me and came to me as though he read my mind.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about," he told me, not even giving me a proper greeting. "Something is going on. Those two men used to be great friends, but now look at them." He shook his head as he watched them walk away. His eyes were filled with pity as though the sight were something meaningful.

Peter's expression suddenly changed from pity to curiosity. "What are you doing here anyway?"

I was a bit taken aback by his question. "Can't I go to the market?" I snipped at him.

"Well, of course, but I thought that you would stay away after what I told you yesterday," he said. "What are you doing back out here?"

"What can I say, I'm a curious woman," I said with a playful shrug. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be fishing before the afternoon heat rushes in?"

"My father took ill," Peter explained. "I'm here getting a possible remedy and maybe a healer."

"Maybe a healer?" I repeated.

"Well," he said, tapping the toe of his boot in the ground like an embarrassed little boy. "All of the healers are busy right now. A lot of people are getting sick."

I looked around at the market. There were still a lot of people about but it was overflowing as it used to be. I didn't think anything of it because I was too busy listening for possible gossip. I mentally slapped myself for being so ignorant. There was gossip staring me right in the face! Just before the knight came to me, I heard a group of women talking about how their husbands and sons were sick. It was a strange time in Tortall. I just hoped whatever was causing it wasn't contagious.

"So, again," Peter said, a bit more demanding. "What are you doing here? Alone for that matter. I don't think that's very sensible of you."

I gaped at him with raised eyebrows. Was he worried about me? I voiced my question causing him to blush a little. "You don't need to worry about me." I told him with a small chuckle of laughter. "I'm a clever woman."

"Clever or not," Peter argued back. "It's not safe here." He sighed and pulled me away from any eavesdropping ears. "Listen," he said calmly. "This may sound strange…but I think something is going to happen here soon."

There was no sign of trickery in his voice and the look in his eyes bothered me because the intensity. He knew what he was trying to say, but he couldn't put it into words. "What is coming?"

"Something bad," he shook his head as though he couldn't say more. "It's a strange feeling that I have."

Just then there was a scream and then an explosion from the docks. Peters eyes grew round as he turned to look toward the harbor. Billowing black clouds pooled into the sky dominating over the white fluff like hungry animals feasting on its prey.

"Mithros!" he exclaimed. Before I could stop him, he dashed off to the harbor. I followed closely behind him. I wasn't finished talking to him yet.

"Peter!" I called. I heard a crow over head give a curious and horrified cry: fire. I assumed as much. With an explosion like that, there had to be some type of fire. "Peter!" He was still within view.

I chased him all the way to the harbor where five ships were set ablaze and debris was scattered on the docks. There was flaming bits of wood floating on the water.

Something moved under the docks. My eyes focused in on the strange boy-like creature scuttling beneath the dock of one of the burning ships. We made eye contact. His red eyes flashed at me threatening and a strange high pitched whistle filled my ears. He was getting closer and closer. The sight of him was terrifying but I couldn't take my eyes away from him.

"What are you doing," someone yelled as they grabbed my arm. The flames of the fire tried to caress my face but I jumped away from it. Peter pulled me back to safety. "Don't do that!" he exclaimed placing two firm hands on my shoulders. "You scared me."

"I think you worry too much."

"Blame it on my ma," he said with a small smile. "And my father. He has taken a grand likin' to you. You remind him of my sister."

"Oh," I said slightly surprised.

"Are you okay?" he asked touching a place on my cheek that stung.

I winced. "I'm fine just as long as you don't touch my face." I moved away from him. Another hand grabbed my arm and pulled me away. "Oh, excuse me," I protested then the man looked at me with his black eyes. "Oh." I stayed silent.

"What were you doing?" the trickster asked me. "You could have gotten killed!"

"I'm well aware of that," I snapped. "What was that thing I saw under the docks?" I yanked my arm away from him so that I could cross them.

"I didn't see anything under the dock," he said. Before I could say something, he cut me off with a firm hand. "Don't do stupid things like that again."

"What is wrong with men and worrying nowadays?" I asked. "I'll be careful. Tomorrow I'm going to Corus with my brother so I'll be out of…_that_ kind of trouble." I inclined my head to the docks. Kyprioth let out a muffled sound and walked away.

"Who was that?" Peter asked. I sighed. I could never have time to process things with Peter and Kyprioth around.

"An old friend of mine," I replied rubbing my forehead. "I have to go back home, Peter."

"Be careful and don't do anything stupid," he told me. "Maybe we'll run into each other tomorrow."

I shook my head. "I won't be here. My brother and I are heading to Corus." I gave him a small bow and ran back to my temporary home.

When I burst through the doors of the dining room, everyone looked at me as though I were unexpected. Though I knew they could hear my thundering footsteps from down the hall.

"Aly," my mother exclaimed, her eyes were directed at the burn on my cheek. "What happened to you?"

"There are several ships in the harbor that are on fire," I told them. "I kind of got really close to one." I looked around the room and noticed that Kristopher had spotted me. His eyes were on me curiously but I looked away. I think I had to deal with too many men.

Where were the women? I felt a little outnumbered.

My mom pulled me into another room and began to rub some balm on my face that made the burn heal rather quickly. She was shaking her head at me. "Aly," she said. "Must you always get into so much trouble?" I didn't answer her. "You are just like your father." I couldn't help but grin at such a high compliment such as that. I kissed her swiftly on the cheek and excused myself to my father's study.

My father was sitting at his desk looking over some papers; translating them into something he could understand. He didn't look up at me but I knew he was aware of my presence.

"Sit," he commanded after a few moments in silence. "We need to discuss a few things before you leave tomorrow." It was about time.

I sat myself down, trying not to look eager.

There was more silence.

He set aside his work and looked at me with folded hands. "Jonathan wanted me to talk to you about this but he wants you to see his son. There is something wrong with him, Jonathan knows there is. He told me to send you these letters."

"There was a rumor at the Islands saying there was some type of conflict against us," I said.

My father smiled. "Don't forget," he said. "I still have my loyal birds."

"So you set me up to come here because you knew that Queen Dove would want me to do the spying myself." My father nodded. I was again tricked by my father. It had been years since that happened. "But Jonathan is the one who had you set me up."

"Now you are complicating things, but yes," my father said. "People in the palace don't trust me anymore. They think that I'm trying to over throw the King because I'm nine kinds of greedy." He chuckled softly. "If Jonathan couldn't handle at his age, then I sure couldn't." He was a few years older than Jonathan, that was true, but he still moved as he did twenty years ago; stealthy and quick. "Keep your eyes and ears open."

"Why couldn't one of your _birds_ do this?" I wanted to know.

"Because we thought that you would like a challenge and that Jonathan's son would enjoy seeing you. You see, he doesn't know that you are a spymaster for his supposed enemy." That is strange, I told myself, I thought everyone knew.

My father put something on the desk between us. It was a small circular piece of blue glass with silver tendrils. With my uncanny sight, I could see that it shimmered with a purple light. That was my mother's signature when it came to her Gift.

"What is this?" I asked, picking it up.

"It's something that your mother and Uncle Numair have been working on. They call it a Looking Glass. I'm not entirely sure what it does but they told me to give it to you. Your Uncle will explain it to you when you get to Corus." I nodded and stored the Looking Glass in my sash. "Now go to your room and get cleaned up. You smell like your on fire."

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**A/N: I need help...kind of. I just wanted to know if my story is progressing slowly? I feel that it is but I always think that my stories are going to slow or two fast. Should I pick up the pace or is it fine the way it is?**


	7. Corus

**Chapter Six: Corus**

_(Disclaimer: Most of the characters belong to Tamora Pierce as well as the settings.)_

It was early morning when my brother finally woke. I had been up before the sun rose because of some local crows knocking at my window telling me that the sun was to rise soon. It was obvious that they lied to me, but I didn't mind. It gave me time to load my things into a sack. All I needed were a few dresses and a couple pairs of breeches.

"Are you ready?" I asked Alan during breakfast. Everyone was too tired to care about our conversation.

"No! I just woke up, Aly," he told me. I rolled my eyes at him. "We aren't leaving until midday anyway. It seems that our other escort hasn't showed."

"Noon!" I exclaimed making the people around me wince it was far too early for them and me loud exclamation wasn't helping. "You told me this morning!"

"I know, I'm sorry, but you have to wait. We can't leave without our other escort," Alan tried to tell me. I rolled my eyes at him and stood. "Where are you going?"

"If we are going to wait around until midday then I am going for a walk." I spun around and excused myself to my parents before I barged out of the room. No one tried to stop me, partially because they were far too tired to care. The moment I set foot in the market I heard my name being called.

"Aly!" Peter called me from the doors of a pub. "Aly, I thought you were leaving."

"I thought I was too but apparently, my brother decided to change his plans," I snarled. The thought alone pissed me off. "What are you doing in a pub so early?" I asked. Secretly I sniffed the air around him but only smelled the saltiness of the sea.

"I was getting some breakfast," he said jabbing his finger over his shoulder. A scar on his wrist caught my attention. I hadn't seen that before. I grabbed his wrist and inspected it carefully. "Oh, that," he said allowing me to look at it. "When I was ten, I was being idiotic while fishing and cut myself on the spear."

"A spear?" I asked. That was something I never heard before. I knew that fishers kept knives or swords on their ship just in case they caught something large and destructive.

"Yeah, just in case we had to kill something to make sure we were safe." I nodded. So it was what I thought it was. A spear was a very old-fashion weapon to be using, but I assumed that it was all they had. "I was running to get something for my father when I sliced myself on the spear."

"That sounds painful," I said, not able to find something to respond with. "Well, I hoped you learned your lesson." I placed my hands on my hips as though I were scolding him.

"You sound like my ma," he told me with a laugh. I raised my eyebrows that the accusation. "Oh," he said, realizing my expression. "You are a mother?"

Darn, I thought. There were sometimes when I couldn't help myself. "Yes," I said. "I have three children back at home." I sighed. It was hard not to think of them then. I missed them dearly.

"Why are you here?" he questioned.

"I'm visiting family," I told him. "My father sent me a letter of urgency, I my husband is at home taking care of the children." I was impressed with myself. For once, I was telling the truth to a bystander. It was interesting. "If I don't fix my families problems soon, then I don't know when I can return."

"Do you need help?" Peter asked. "I'll be more than happy to help you."

My heart lightened. I could use someone like Peter but I would have to make up a lie in order to protect myself, and him from the King's men. I was after all, a spy. "I'll inform you if you can," I told him modestly. "But I think this is something beyond my control."

"Well," Peter said, patting my shoulder, "I'll be around if you want me to do something."

"Right now," I told him. "All I want you to do is be careful at the docks. There is something strange going on down there. I can feel it," I told him with a worried look. I touched his arm and smiled, tilting my head to the side, looking innocent. "Watch yourself out there."

"I'll try," he said with a nod. "So, I'm curious, how old is your oldest?"

"Old enough," I replied, not trying to give away too much detail about my life.

"That's all you're going to give me?" I nodded and looked up at him with an innocent smile. There was no point in flirting with him now. He knew I was married and that I had priorities. "You are a mysterious gal," Peter said with a laugh. "You're poor husband must find you to be a handful if you act like this to him."

"I think he rather enjoys it," I told him. There was something in his eye that made me smile. He reminded me of an excited little boy…like my sons. Damn! I thought looking away from him. He was too old to be my son. If anything, he would be my little brother. I took a step back. The thought of my family still swirling in my head. "I need to go write my husband," I told him. "You just reminded me."

I spun on my heel and ran to my dwelling. In my room, I told Trick to deliver a few messages to Nawat. They were personal and soft-hearted messages that I wouldn't dare say in front of others. They would think of me a soft…though that could have been a good thing.

Trick nuzzled against my cheek once I flopped down on my bed. He tried to relax me but it wasn't working. Instead he said, "Nawat said to be good and that he will see you soon."

"He won't see me soon if I don't hurry with this mission," I told Trick as I stroked him slightly. I sighed. Everything about this mission was off. It was sloppy and unorganized. I felt that I needed to start over again. I lay on my bed, organizing my thoughts until they were correctly placed. Suddenly, I was inspired again. New schemes sprouted in my head. I began to make assumptions but never fully believing them.

I knew that the only way to finish this spying was if I snooped around in Corus. Patiently, I waited for midday to come around. There was a knock on my door, by the heaviness of the hand, I could tell that it was Alan. I opened the door to find not only my brother but his companion Kristopher.

"Are you ready?" Alan asked me.

"My bags are already waiting," I told him stepping out of my room and into the hall. "Who was this man that kept us waiting, may I ask?"

"Tavi," Kristopher said. I raised two curious eyebrows at him. "Tavi is –well, you'll see." I was lead outside to where our horses were saddled and ready for the trip to Corus. There was a rather lean man stroking his palomino steed, talking to him as though he were conversing. "Aly, this is Tavi," Kristopher introduced.

Tavi, after hearing his name, looked up at me. He had a slender face, just as slender as his body. He wore light colored breeches with a long tunic to match. The innocence on his face a beyond genuine, it was almost uncanny. Tavi smiled at me with his slightly thin lips and flicked his grey eyes over me. He inspected me as much as I inspected him. "Good day," he told me in an airy voice.

"And you," I said curtsying slightly.

"I've heard a lot about you," Tavi said. He seemed distracted by something in the wind. "You are very liked here." I opened mouth to say something but I failed to produce words. This man was starting to frighten me. His detachment from reality was beginning to give me shivers. There was something strange about this man and I was going to find it out. I glanced at Alan…just not in front of him.

"You are coming to Corus with us, yes?" Tavi asked, looking at me through his long eyelashes. Whenever he blinked, I thought I felt wind. I nodded. "Oh good," he said with a grin, making his eyes sparkle under the midday sun. "It gets rather tiring with these knights."

"I know what you mean," I managed to say, throwing a look at my brother. "So Tavi, not to be rude or anything, is that your real name?"

Tavi's eyes exploded with light. I backed away from him as I felt his happiness come at me in a suffocating way. "No, it's not," he said. "It's my replacement name. I don't know what my real name is anymore. They made me forget." I blinked at him. "I will tell you as we ride." I nodded.

In the end, Tavi didn't get to tell me about himself. Alan and Kristopher kept distracting him from speaking a word to me. I knew it was because Alan didn't want to hear Tavi speak too much. There was something about his airy voice that made him shiver. Whenever Tavi would say something, my brother would wince and shiver slightly. Tavi never noticed.

We made it to Corus before night fell. The streets of Tortall's capital were still as busy as they were in the day. I could see the shifty looks of the swindlers as we passed. They looked at the pouches with hunger. Strangely, a majority of them were looking at us with hunger. Men looked at me with interest. The streets fell silent as we sauntered by on our horses.

Something in the alleyway caught my attention. A little girl looked up at me. Her eyes looked red under the setting sun. My heart sped as I turned away. I told myself that it was just the sun but it was obvious that it wasn't. That's for another time, I told myself, it's not the same case.

We made it in the safety of the palace walls. I was finally able to relax. The tension in my shoulders eased though it ached terribly. I looked around at the palace yards, noticing that everything was different.

An invisible black cloud hovered above the palace, sending waves of warning at me. There was definitely something going on, and I didn't think that it was a conspiracy against my queen. It was something much worse.

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**A/N: I'll update soon.**


	8. When It Began

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I was really into my other fanfic at the time. I tried to keep this one simple but it's overwhelmed with information. It will be clearly sorted through in the next chapter, I assure you. I didn't have time to reread this chapter. Sorry if it gets really confusing. The next chapter, again, will be a little more clearer._

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_**(Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the setting)**_

**Chapter Seven: When It Began **

I decided to walk about the palace to see if I could hear anything of interest. Surely someone had to speak of the goings on while out and about. The maids usually did. But as I continued, I noticed how empty the palace was even with it full of knights, squires, pages, nobles, maids, and the like of them. It was as though everyone's personality was sucked out of them, leaving them empty and quiet.

"Aly?" a man's voice called. I spun around to see a man, aging like my parents, standing in the corridor with draping black robes. There were wrinkles marking his dark skin and gray streaking his long black hair. I gaped at the man. It had been far too long since I had last seen him. "Aly!" he exclaimed striding up to me with his extravagantly long legs.

This was my Uncle Numair.

"Uncle!" I said, astonished by his presence. "I hadn't expected you until late in the day. Alan said that you would be out most of the day." I leaned back to look into my uncle's black eyes.

"Did he?" Uncle looked displeased with what I had said. "Aly, do not listen to everything your brother tells you. He has a bad habit of lying. Something strange has been going on since Alan returned from the fief. His wife-to-be is also strange but kind, though I have my suspicions of the lady."

"I haven't heard that Alan had a fiancée," I said, feeling a little disappointed in my brother for not mentioning such a big thing. "Why didn't he tell me?" Uncle shrugged and sighed. "Tell me more about this woman."

"Why don't you go look at her yourself?" Uncle pushed me to the dinning hall where the nobles took their meals. I peeked in but there were too many faces, both familiar and unfamiliar. I couldn't tell who my brother's soon to be wife was. "Uncle, I don't know which one is her!" I whispered.

He chuckled. "Then a simple solution would be to go in and find Alan." He nudged me into the dinning hall. It was dark in the dinning hall for some strange reason. The windows were not covered and the sun was high, yet nothing was spilling into the castle.

A few people looked up at me with a stubborn look on their face. Alan waved, catching my attention. I strolled up to him, shoulders back and chin up. If I wanted to fit in, I needed to act like the nobles around me.

"Aly," he said, as he held onto a rather slender woman. "This is my fiancée. I wanted to surprise you." Her innocent face beamed up at me and I couldn't help but smile at her. Her green eyes glimmered from the unsteady candle light. Her delicate oval face held a fading bruise just along her well defined cheekbone. "Her name is Isabella."

"It's nice to meet you," I curtsied. "I'm Aly, as you heard." She nodded at me in reply. I watched as her eyes flicked to Alan as though asking permission to talk to me. "I just wanted to come and tell you that I'm all settled in. I'm going to go look for Aunt Daine." My brother bid me farewell and I took my leave. Uncle was waiting for me. "Warn me next time, will you?" I said to him.

"Next time," Uncle said. His eyes twinkled. "So, you want to see Daine?" I nodded. "Let me take you to her." He led me through a series of halls until we were finally to their dedicated room. Aunt Daine was sitting at a desk, reading a book about animals. "Love," Uncle said, calling her attention. "We have a visitor."

Aunt Daine turned around. "What- Aly!" She jumped out of her seat and hugged me tightly. There were speckles of age going across her features but they were only visible when one looked too closely. Uncle and her had a rather large age gap but that didn't matter to them. "We've missed you so much!"

"I miss you too!" I told her. I looked around noticing something was missing. "Where are your children?"

"They have chores to do," Aunt Daine said. "And they'd better be doing them." She gave her husband a dark look.

"They are, they are," Uncle said.

I didn't want to be in the middle of something that was going to possibly damage my mental processes so I stepped in before they could say another word. "What's going on here?"

"What do you mean?" Uncle asked.

"Everything about the palace is…wrong!" I exclaimed throwing up my arms. None of them said anything. They didn't need to. The look on their faces was clear, they didn't know. "No one knows what is going on?"

"No," Uncle said. "But we can tell you when it started."

"When?"

"It was just a week before Jonathan passed the crown to his son Roald," Uncle started. "The weather started acting weird; there were lightning bursts while the sun shone bright. The tide was high when it was supposed to be low. Then a one day sickness broke out, only affecting the children. The day that Roald was crowned King, everything went back to normal in a way. The children who were sick disappeared. One of them happened to be Roald's son." I listened intently to the story and wondered if those children I had been seeing in the alleys were perchance the children of the sickness. "Shinko was devastated that her son disappeared but she soon recovered when the man Nikolas came with your brother."

"I don't like that man," Aunt Daine supplied. "He looks at woman as if we are lower than him. His wife, Millie, is here too. She is a quiet little thing but I'm not surprised when Nikolas beats her." There was a hint of a wolfish growl in her voice.

"Since their arrival, everything has been turned around," Uncle Numair continued. "If you haven't noticed, life itself has left. The only people who aren't truly affected by it are mages or those with any sort of gift."

"Which explains why my family isn't affected," I said slowly. "Meaning, Alan shouldn't be affected." I contemplated a little. If Alan were truly behind the strange happenings then he must be acting at will. But why? Why would he do such a thing?

"This Nikolas," Aunt Daine said, "He is the one who convinced the King to consider war against the Copper Isles though Jonathan told him over and over that the Copper Isles wouldn't want war against Tortall – ever. Especially since you are their spymaster and you are important to a lot of people in this country."

"Apparently, not important enough for my godfather's son and my own _twin _brother," I said, feeling a bit angry. My fists clenched. "The worst part is, they know I'm the spymaster for Queen Dove."

"But they can't entirely arrest you until they have proof that you are spying," Uncle Numair said. "Or so they think that's how it's supposed to be." I blinked at him. There was something about his tone that made me not want to know what he meant, but again, curiosity was a strong force. "You'll understand later."

"Tell me more about what has been happening," I said. I wanted to make note of everything that I possibly can. "Where is this man Nikolas from anyway?"

"Nikolas is a mystery to us all," Aunt Daine said. "He has no trace of an accent and he doesn't have a specific ethnicity. We can't find out where he's from and Alan doesn't know either…either that or he won't tell us." She sighed, rubbing her delicate nose in frustration. "Alan is a bit softer on you than he will ever be with us. Even Raoul couldn't get anything out of him. Jonathan is getting frustrated with Roald because Roald won't speak to him about the 'important matters.' Queen Shinko is getting stressed out because Roald is pushing her out of his life…." Aunt Daine trailed off. "Something is wrong with the king."

"I can see that," I said shaking my head. "So I was called here to soften up my brother and try to convince him to tell me what he is doing to make our family miserable and how he is making Tortall fall?" I received a nod from the two of them. "My ma can soften Alan up just as well as I can."

Uncle shook his head at me. "After everything that has been happening. Everyone has been shunned. The only reason why we are still in the palace is because we were told to stand our post until you arrived." I raised my eyebrows. "Aly, we are going to be leaving here soon. So is Jonathan."

"You're leaving me alone here in his barbaric place?"

"Just be accepted here," Daine said, "And you'll find more information than you'll get from any of us. If you need us, we'll be here for the next three days, but other than that, we'll be living at the Pirate Swoop." I had a feeling that I was being dismissed. I nodded and spun on my heal. I had a lot to contemplate at the moment. I needed to organize my thoughts so I could possibly figure out what had been going on. I seemed to have difficulty keeping my mind in order since I arrived in Tortall. With a small goodbye, I went to my room.


	9. AN: It's been far too long

I will be updating in December and I'll be editing all of the chapters I have written so far. Sorry for making you wait so long.

I've had some serious falling out with a lot of things in the last year and writing was one of them. Please forgive my extremely late update.

Hopefully, my writing hasn't gotten any worse.

K. Parks

(Disenchantedwords)


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